18

Interlude II: Ruby

I strained against my chains once more, for the umpteenth time in the past few…seconds? Minutes? Hours? It was a fruitless task, one that I knew to be pointless. These chains had bound me low for many millennia, and were no worse for wear. But if there was even the slightest chance for me to escape my confinement, my Pride demanded that I take it.

I gnashed my teeth, snapping at the chain by my snout. Their very existence slighted me, proving that there was indeed something greater than I. It was a coward's trap, the thing they used against me. The foolish mortals had the audacity to get in the way of my ripping Albion's fucking throat out, so I understandably killed them. The little pests tried to fight back, even. Truly, they were unaware of my might. Scant seconds later, they all perished, but in those few seconds, Albion escaped my grasp once more.

'If it weren't for those damn gnats, Albion would be dead!' I fumed, thrashing in irritation.

The walls of my prison dimmed, flickering. I chuckled, settling down to watch the spectacle. This was always the best part of my imprisonment. Watching whatever pitiful whelp that dared steal my power get utterly destroyed is always amusing. I occasionally lent my aid, if only to prolong the spectacle. The fools always used my full power without restraint, burning their life away as it consumed them. I still got plenty of entertainment out of their last flailing, though.

One even trashed an entire Devil city!

I sighed, remembering the pleasant memory. It was more than worth lending the young whelp my power, if only to watch him slaughter all of those gnats. Not nearly as satisfying as doing it myself, but it was amusing all the same.

The walls flickered once more, and I peered through the girl's eyes for a few moments. The Devil strangling her was laughing cruelly while forcefully copulating with her. He taunted her, seemingly taking delight in her screams. I snorted, closing my eyes and disconnecting from my host.

The girl was even worse than most, whimpering and cowering at the slightest noise. She awakened me completely by chance, and refused to use my power. I could respect that, if she actually had any power of her own. She ignored my warnings about how Dragons draw powerful beings like flies to honey, and continued living her boring life without changing a thing. I'm honestly shocked that this kind of thing didn't happen sooner.

'Hmph. It's her own damn fault. If she doesn't have the power to fight back, she deserves to get raped. In this world, you're either a possession or a possessor, and she certainly isn't a possessor.' I hummed for a moment, thinking. 'Actually, I seem to recall that gnat from somewhere… where was it, again?'

I thought back, ignoring the flickering of the walls. My mouth twisted into a vicious grin. 'Ah, yes, I remember now. Gnat though he may be, I never forget the faces of those who have wronged me. It's not the original, though, he's too young for that. An ancestor, perhaps. Astaroth, the annoying bastard who randomly turned invisible and threw snakes at me. Had a gang of floozies who kept taking blows for him.' I frowned. 'They all seemed to have rather empty-looking eyes, however. I do hope that this gnat doesn't plan to break my host. It would be a pain to deal with.'

The walls flickered once more time, before they regained their natural color. I blinked. 'Did he not decide to kill her? That's odd.'

I peered through my host's eyes once more. The disgusting gnat was giggling perversely while taking out an odd spiked collar and several heavy chains, along with an odd blue horse head made out of porcelain. I closed my eyes, sighing. 'Well, all the distressed flickering is giving me a headache, so I might as well help out.' I concentrated, opening our communications link. "GIRL." I boomed. "IF YOU WANT TO AVOID HIM TAKING YOU ONCE MORE, PISS YOURSELF. IT SEEMS TO HAVE WORKED IN THE PAST FOR MY PREVIOUS HOSTS, SO IT MIGHT WORK AGAIN."

She seemed surprised, but shakily did as I commanded. I chuckled. 'Or she might have just been too terrified to hold it in. I am rather fearsome, after all.'

The gnat recoiled, grimacing in disgust. He struck my host, screaming at her. I tuned out the words, deciding not to bother myself. I closed my eyes, listening to the sound of her screams. '…Damn it. Now she's giving me a headache, too. Graaaaah.' I grumbled, lashing my bound tail. 'If I didn't enjoy listening to her misery so much, I probably would be sleeping right now.'

I heard the clanking of chains, and my host was suddenly airborne. I opened my eyes once more to see my host bound and in the dark, her neck bound with the spiked collar and her limbs chained to the wall. I relished in the irony. 'Yes, you bitch. Feel my pain. How does it feel to be the one bound, for once? Chained up like a vicious beast? Mocked and spat upon? HAH!'

The gnat sneered at her, turning and walking away. The cell door shut with a clang and my host was left in the darkness. Quietly, my host spoke. "Dragon? Can you hear me?"

I snorted. "YES, PARTNER, I CAN. DO YOU FINALLY INTEND TO USE MY POWER?"

She shook her head. "No, I could never do that."

"…SO? WHY DO YOU NEED ME, THEN? JUST RETURN TO YOUR SNIVELLING AND LEAVE ME TO MY PEACE." I replied irritably.

She smiled. "Oh? And what would it say about you if your host were broken and tossed aside?"

I rolled my eyes. "SEVERAL OF MY PREVIOUS FEMALE HOSTS HAVE SUFFERED SUCH A FATE. APPARENTLY, MALES GET OFF ON HAVING POWERFUL FEMALES BROKEN AND SUBSERVIENT BEFORE THEM. IT AFFECTS ME NOT."

Her smile faltered. "O-oh." She sagged. "I-I see."

I chuckled. "IF IT HELPS ANY, THOSE CHAINS ONLY SUPPRESS OUTWARD MAGIC. YOU COULD EASILY ))BOOST(( YOUR STRENGTH AND BREAK THESE MANACLES LIKE GLASS."

She frowned for a moment. "I don't want to kill anyone… but I suppose… could I Boost my heart rate?"

I blinked. "YOU… WANT TO COMMIT SUICIDE, RATHER THAN KILL THE MAN WHO JUST RAPED YOU?"

She nodded. "I hate killing."

I blinked once more. 'This girl… is too stupid to live. All those survival instincts humans have? She apparently seems to have missed those.' "…VERY WELL."

She smiled, closing her eyes. "All right then, I'm ready."

I sighed. "))BOOST((."

10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…

"))BOOST((."

10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…

"))BOOST((."

The girl's heart finally popped, killing her instantly. I grimaced, watching the walls of my cell fade. 'Well, at least dying is better than having this spineless coward as a host.'

My consciousness faded, and I felt my eyes begin to droop. 'At least maybe my next host won't… be… so… bad…'

My world went black.

I don't know how long I slept, but when I next woke, it was with a terrific jolt. I jerked, shaking myself all over. I pushed against my chains in irritation, redoubling my hatred for the gnats who bound me.

My eyes scanned my new cage, noting that the walls weren't glowing. 'How odd.' I mused. 'If the walls aren't glowing, then my host must not have woken me naturally.'

I abruptly noticed that I wasn't as alone as I initially thought. I focused on him, giving him a once-over. 'Tall, red hair, wearing a lab coat. I don't recognize the face, but the hair…' I inhaled deeply, catching the scent of a Devil. 'Ah, yes, Gremory. That red hair would look lovely on fire.' I paused, grinning. 'Or not. Perhaps I should humor him, if only for the brief amusement he'll provide. And if he decides to waste my time, well…'

"GREETINGS, LITTLE DEVIL." I boomed, my chains rattling from the sheer volume of my call. "YOU WERE EITHER EXTREMELY BRAVE OR EXTREMELY STUPID TO COME HERE. EVEN BOUND, I CAN END YOUR EXISTANCE IN A HEARTBEAT. TELL ME, WHY SHOULD I SPARE YOU?"

I waited, watching for any sign of fear. He showed none, merely stepping forward confidently and looking me in the eye. "Because I can set you free."

I blinked. '...How odd. A Devil that cuts straight to the point. How very… refreshing.' "A BOLD CLAIM, TO BE SURE. AND NOT ONE TO BE MADE LIGHTLY. BUT I KNOW YOUR KIND, DEVIL. WHAT DO YOU WANT IN RETURN?"

A small, teasing smirk tugged at his lips, as if he knew something I didn't. There was no arrogance in the expression, I noted in surprise, just playfulness. As if he weren't currently facing down the Red Dragon of Crimson Purgatory. "Can you turn me into a True Dragon?" He asked calmly.

I snorted. 'Ah, the jesting type. I might as well let him know exactly who he's facing.' "EASILY. BUT DO NOT PATRONIZE ME, THAT IS TOO LITTLE OF A TASK, AND TOO GREAT A SACRIFICE, TO SEEK OUT ONE SUCH AS I. I ASK ONCE MORE, WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

He grimaced slightly as my voice assaulted his ears. He glanced at the vibrating chains, watching as they shook from my shout. I could almost imagine him muttering to himself about how loud I was. Before I could find any amusement in this image, however, he spoke. "I need a Queen in order to help me save the world."

I gaped in utter shock at the man. 'He… it… what?' "WHAT? YOU—HOW—WHAT?" Rage began to lace my thoughts. 'He wishes to make me his possession, does he? One of his feeble women? A trophy, to be shown off? A toy?' "EXPLAIN, MORTAL, ELSE YOUR AUDACITY BE THE END OF YOU." I demanded, infuriated.

He once again winced at the volume, remaining unruffled by my rage. I found myself fairly impressed with his quiet confidence, He had a small presence, one that would go unnoticed in a crowd, yet he somehow managed to carry the authority of ten thousand kings. But despite his unquestionable authority, he still didn't exude the slightest hint of a threatening aura. No, if I had to describe his aura, it would be… soft. Comforting. The kind of aura one could bask in for hours, like a warm beam of sunlight on a flat rock. It evoked memories of happier times, times before Albion destroyed all I held dear.

Finally, the young king (for he could be nothing else, what with his aura and request for me to be his queen) replied. "The Great Red has invaded the Ouroboros Dragon's home. In order to reclaim her 'silence', she formed a group of humans called the Khaos Brigade. They plan to kill the Great Red by releasing Trihexa. I need all the help I can get to save the universe from annihilation."

I mentally roared with outrage. 'That… damn… retarded… child! She had the entire damn Dimensional Gap to explore, but noooo, she has to have the exact spot that the Great Red is currently occupying. Damn flaming moron.' I sighed. 'Chances are, he's telling the truth. My Instinct says he's telling the truth, my gut says he's telling the truth. Might as well hear him out.'

"IF I DIDN'T KNOW FOR A FACT YOU WEREN'T LYING," I carefully watched his reaction, pleased to note that he didn't show any signs of guilt. "I'D KILL YOU RIGHT NOW. HAS THE WORLD OUTSIDE TRULY BECOME SO BLEAK?"

He nodded, speaking with the solemnness of a king giving a death sentence. "I plan to stop them, as well as kill Trihexa. I am willing to do nearly anything to achieve this. There's still ten years before the world goes to hell, so there's still time to prepare a counter-attack."

'…Damn, he's serious. Now…' I gave him a once-over. 'If it meant escaping this place, would I be willing to submit to him? After all, I must either be a possession or a possessor, and I cannot be the possessor if I am the one subservient to him.' I mentally categorized what I knew about him. He held the authority of a king, yet spoke with the voice of a pauper. He held the bearing of a warrior, yet his aura held no malice. He had not once deceived me, and was genuine in his offer to free me. 'Well… he's a good enough choice as any, I suppose. I could always just kill him if he tries to manipulate me for his own gain. But still… what does he stand to gain from this?'

I sighed. 'Well, no point wondering about it.' "SAY I AGREE TO BECOME YOUR QUEEN. HOW WILL THAT AID YOUR CAUSE?"

He smiled kindly at me, his aura becoming slightly, impossibly, more welcoming. "I need someone who can rise in power to stand beside me, no matter what. I need someone who can take over if I fall, leading my cause to victory. I need someone I can trust with my back, to cover for me whenever I have to do something stupid. And, most importantly," His smile became brilliant in its' intensity, and his aura lost its' commanding tone, as if it were greeting me as an equal. "I need someone who can look past my Distortion, and respect me all the same."

He bowed low, waiting for my response. I eyed him, honestly shocked by the raw emotion he had poured into his plea. It was… kind of adorable, really. And if I were to score him, he would probably manage to get a negative on deception. '…I somehow doubt he's innocent or naïve enough to tell the truth about everything. The fact that he would willingly enter a Dragon's cage attests to battle experience, at the very least. He has power, yet approached me as an equal. He is honest enough to tell me everything I ask, yet firm enough in his resolve to fight the likes of Trihexa by himself if I turn him away.'

I sighed internally, looking him over one last time. 'He is a worthy partner.' I decided. 'I can see myself fighting beside him, guarding his back as he guards mine.' I felt a small shiver of delight at that. 'It will be a… novel experience, having a partner that won't just be dead weight. I dare say that I'm even looking forward to it. And perhaps… If it's someone as worthy as he seems to be… I can try being a possession, for once in my long life.'

'Now… what to say…' Eventually, I decided to fish for more information. "DISTORTION, EH? YOU ARE THE BEARER OF A REALITY MARBLE?" I chuckled as if I knew all along. "THAT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY YOU FEEL SO MUCH LIKE A WELCOMING HOME. I TAKE IT, BY YOUR CALMING AURA, YOUR MARBLE IS PASSIVE IN NATURE?"

He nodded. "Yes, actually. It's called Dreams of the Fallen. It collects the souls of those who died unfulfilled, and allows to live their lives pursuing their Dreams. It's actually how I plan on getting you out of here."

I smirked, pouncing on his error. "AND HOW, PRAY TELL, WILL YOU CREATE ME A NEW FORM? I DOUBT YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO CREATE ONE OUT OF THIN AIR, SO HOW?"

Unphased, he began to laugh. "Actually, yes. I can. Do you know what the First Sorcery is?" I shook my head. 'I do, but I want to see what he knows. This could be dangerous.'

He continued, his laughter slowing to a halt. "It allows both the invocation of Something from Nothing, and Nothing from Something. I plan to show you all of my memories of possible forms, and let you pick one. I will then create it as a body for you, allowing you to edit it yourself, as necessary." He looked me square in the eye. "I will then bind your soul to it using my Piece, placing your soul into the soulless doll."

I blinked. 'Bind… my soul? He intends to Claim me?' I paused, shocked. 'He would go that far to prove his honesty?' I shook the thought out of my head. 'I should at least make our contract one of equals, then… or, at least, give me an out if I decide I dislike being a possession.'

I cleared my throat. "VERY WELL. I AGREE TO YOUR TERMS. I SHALL MAKE YOU INTO A TRUE DRAGON, AND I SHALL BE YOUR QUEEN FOR THE REST OF YOUR DAYS, STANDING BY YOUR SIDE FAITHFULLY AND UPHOLDING YOUR LEGACY."

'I mean… if I'm going to be his Queen, then I'll probably be expected to bear his children, so…'

"IN RETURN," I continued, "YOU MUST BE MY KING, AIDING ME WHEN I AM WEAK, LISTENING TO MY THOUGHTS, AND SUPPORTING ME IN ALL MY ENDEAVORS."

'The part of the contract that gives me full license to kill him if he treats me as a tool. My last resort if this goes sideways.'

"DO YOU FIND THIS ACCEPTABLE?" I finished, looking imperiously down upon him.

He nodded, not a trace of hesitation on his face. I relaxed slightly. 'All right, now what?' I thought for a moment. 'He mentioned something about picking my own form… I should probably do that, next.'

"VERY WELL. SHOW ME THE FORMS THAT I MIGHT TAKE."

He walked up and placed a hand on my stomach. Less than a moment later, millions of faces flooded my mind. I blinked, trying to take in the sheer mass of information. There were characters from every race and ethnicity, tall and short, male and female. I ignored the males, focusing on the females. Now… what kind of body do I want?

'Hmm… well, if I remember correctly, males prefer large breasts because it's a signal that a woman is ready for breeding. I don't think they have any real use other than to feed offspring, so I'll pick a form based on that.' I eyed the figures, moving aside the flat-chested ones. 'It would be rather hard to feed an infant with that, after all. And all my male hosts that liked large chests seemed to adore the 'hourglass figure', so I suppose I'll be looking for that.'

I moved aside the ones with more chest than rear, or the ones with more rear than chest. Glancing over the remaining options, I frowned. 'Now for the color scheme and the 'outfit'. I want red, obviously.' I sorted through the selection, moving aside all of them that didn't have either red hair or a red color scheme.

I immediately picked out three candidates for the body, all with red hair and curvy figures. The names of the girls popped into my mind as I focused on each one, as well as a short series of memories about each. 'Mio Naruse' seemed entirely too submissive for my tastes, and 'Elesis' seemed to enjoy getting her hands dirty a bit too much. That only left 'Lilith Asami'.

As for the outfit… black is nice. I like black. The fact that it makes my color scheme the complete opposite of my brother's is irrelevant.

I looked over the various outfits, immediately taking a liking to the 'gothic lolita' look, and picked out two who seemed to be respectable fighters. One 'Ruby Rose' managed to wield a 'high-calibur sniper scythe' larger than she was with extreme efficiency in order to make quick work of a pack of large, wolf-like creatures of pure evil. I checked on 'Kurumi Tokisaki' out of curiosity, and immediately dropped her off of the list. Justice is nice, but she's just plain crazy.

Finally satisfied with my choices, I spoke to my new… king? No, we aren't wed yet. Fiancé, then. "THESE. I WILL TAKE THESE. THE FORM OF THE FIRST, AND THE GARB OF THE OTHER."

He accepted without comment. "Any particular reason you chose these?" He asked, possibly a subtle inquiry as to my tastes.

I smirked. 'Fishing for information already, eh? The boy has a good head on his shoulders. But still, he's about a thousand years too young to be wooing me with that kind of thing. I might as well give him a… what did my last host call it? Ah, yes, a 'non-answer'.' I snorted, making a show of puffing out my chest as I had seen Albion doing whenever he was showing off. "THEY BEFIT A FEMALE OF MY STATURE, DO THEY NOT?"

He sighed, apparently disappointed by his failed attempt at information gathering. His face was carefully blank, however, so as not to give anything away. I chuckled quietly to myself. 'The boy really does have experience dealing with higher beings. He shows no weakness, even after his strike. Good. He should be trainable.' I was broken from my thoughts as he spoke. "Of course. Would you like anything added to the form?"

'Non-offensive, flattering, and to the point. Yes, indeed, he is an excellent choice.' I frowned. 'Wait, anything added? Like, a third arm or something? I doubt I could use something like that. No, don't be silly, he probably means a physical feature like… er… longer eyelashes? I don't know, what do humans like to have? I know my previous host enjoyed having her hair curled, but that ended up making her look plain silly.'

A thought occurred to me as I glanced over the form I had chosen. 'Hold on, this girl's eyes are blue. That cannot stand, my eyes are green! If I do not look like myself, how will Albion recognize me when I rip his host's throat out?' I cleared my throat. "I WISH TO KEEP MY EYES GREEN."

I blinked as another thought occurred. 'Wait, I haven't seen anything of human culture since my last host died, and I know less than nothing about the current Devil culture. If I join society, then I'll make a fool of myself. That has to change. Perhaps he can do something about that?' "AND, UM…" I coughed, glancing away. 'For a being such as I, to be asking a boy a mere fraction of my age, for knowledge of an inferior culture… truly, I have fallen far. How Albion would jeer if he saw me now.' I grumbled to myself. "COULD YOU GIVE ME INFORMATION ON THE MODERN WORLD? I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE SAVE FOR WHAT MY PAST WIELDERS HAVE TOLD ME."

He shrugged, making no comment about my lack of knowledge. "Okay. But, um… I'm also going to keep the age at about six. My physical body hasn't grown this far yet."

I felt slight relief at that. If we were both young, then our missteps and cultural blindness would be forgiven. He was quite cunning to have thought that far. "VERY WELL." I gave him my best smile. "HOW DO YOU INTEND TO FREE ME?"

He gestured at my chains, unmoved by my sharp teeth. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but those chains are made from your life force, no?"

I frowned. "YES. IT IS THE ONLY WAY I CAN BE BOUND. I WANT FREEDOM, BUT TO ACHIEVE IT IS TO DIE."

'Damn cowards…' I fumed, remembering how they had tricked me into stepping within one of their magical arrays. 'If they wished to defeat me, then they should've fought like warriors. Not removed my soul and stuck it in this infernal box. I'll bet they butchered my body, selling it for spare parts.' My tail lashed, pulling the chains taut.

The boy didn't seem to notice my rage, instead simply giving me a knowing smile. "Do you remember what my Reality Marble does?"

I nodded, feeling slight irritation at his presumption that I had already forgotten something so simple. "YES. YOU SAID IT COLLECTS THE SOULS OF THOSE WHO… DIED… UNFULFILLED…" I trailed off, blinked in surprise. "I SEE. THAT'S RATHER INGENIOUS, ACTUALLY. YOU INTEND TO USE MY 'DEATH' TO PULL MY SOUL INTO YOUR MARBLE?"

He grinned, and I got the feeling he had just led me along like a puppet on a string. "Yep. All you have to do is agree, and I'll shred the chains."

I snorted, begrudgingly impressed at his method of leading the conversation where he wanted it. 'An honest Devil, yes, but still a Devil.' "VERY WELL. BUT IT WOULD TAKE QUITE THE WEAPON TO SHRED THE LIFE-FORCE OF A DRAGON."

He smirked. I could feel his calm, dreamlike aura wake, making me jerk in surprise. His previously faint presence was suddenly enormous, titanic in its' implications, demanding that the world itself heed its' voice. It filled the cage, snapping and raging at nothing and everything… until it calmed. It was no less powerful, but it seemed to have a purpose now, weaving together and lengthening, solidifying into individual tendrils that were thousands in number, all constantly shifting and swaying as if alive. Even with my draconic eyesight, I could only see the barest of flickers to tell of their existence whenever they moved.

His smirk now seemed completely justified.

"I think I've got it covered." He told me confidently. "Now don't move."

I obliged, deciding that any weapon that he believed could destroy my entire life force in one blow was probably not something I wanted to have him make a mistake with. My decision was validated a moment later, as the tiny threads each wrapped around a different chain link, making sure not a single one was untouched. Then they pulled, carving through the heavy chains like my talons through flesh. Smooth and effortless.

I shivered slightly at the sudden emptiness that heralded my 'death'. I stretched out my wings, relishing in my newfound freedom as my soul began its' journey to the afterlife. I chuckled, looking down upon my new fiancé once more. "I SHALL SEE YOU SHORTLY… MY KING."

When I next opened my eyes, it was to the brilliant rays of the sun. I blinked, my eyes adjusting as I got my first glimpse of its' warm light in millennia. I yawned, relaxing under its' comforting heat. And the aura… it was everywhere, the comforting feeling that my fiancé had exuded. It was calming and soothing, comforting me and assuring me that I was safe. I chuckled to myself, stretching my limbs and lashing my tail. 'While the sentiment is appreciated, I need no one's protection, boy. Keep it for your other women. I can protect myself.'

I finally got around to observing my surroundings, lazily shifting my stance to get a good look around.

I was standing in a large field of wheat, beside a long road that stretched between a white kingdom and a black city. The road was bustling with activity, a mass of people and creatures that called greetings to one another as they passed. A few gave me a passing glance, but most of them seemed content to wander aimlessly. I eyed them in confusion. 'I'm the Red Dragon Empress! Where's the screaming, the begging, the groveling!? Do they not fear me?'

I suddenly realized exactly what had bothered me about their reddish faces, and whirled to see a second sun, its' light as red as blood. I scanned my surroundings, looking for any other oddities.

Near the white kingdom, a city of Light drifted amongst the clouds. The mountain range behind the kingdom seemed to glisten a thousand different shades of color as the light of the twin suns hit it. I turned on the spot, continuing to observe my surroundings. The white kingdom was surrounded by a large body of water, and it was built into the side of one of one of the mountains. The water around the kingdom cascaded down through nearly four thousand feet of empty air and crashed with a mighty roar into the great sea below.

The road was built upon a steady path that snaked its' way up from the plains I was currently in. It was made of an odd, clear stone that, upon further inspection, proved to be raw diamond. It ran next to the edge of the sparkling sea for several miles, before sloping away from the water. I caught a hint of movement in the distance, and idly ))Boosted(( my sight to see what caused it. A cursory glance revealed it to be a large figure wielding the sea itself like a weapon against a gigantic sea creature with teeth like great knives and thousands of skull-like heads.

I blinked.

Twice.

'Is that… Oceanus? Fighting Scylla? What the flaming hell? They're both supposed to…be…dead…' I glanced down at my flesh-and-blood form, miraculously whole despite my life ending mere moments before. '…Oh.' I slowly began to realize exactly how much power my new fiancé had at his disposal. 'I assumed that when he mentioned that his Marble collected the souls of the departed, he meant the ones that he himself collected. Not every bloody person to have ever died.'

I glanced down at the busy street once more, this time registering faces. 'Wait, I've seen several of these people reincarnated since they died. There's Jeanne d'Arc, I've seen her soul floating around the mortal realm fairly often. How can she still be here if her soul is being passed around back in the realm of the living? For that matter, wouldn't this many souls being removed from the reincarnation cycle turn the System on its' head?'

I considered the conundrum. 'Well, I suppose he used the term 'soul' loosely, then. He probably meant the Spirit. That makes more sense, especially since the mind resides in the Spirit rather than the Soul. His Marble captures the Spirit that the reincarnation cycle strips away from the Soul and re-houses it. That would preserve the Balance while still allowing this utopia to exist. But why didn't he say that?' I snorted to myself, smoke drifting from my nostrils. 'Ah, who am I kidding. If he took that long explaining the mechanics of his Marble instead of keeping me placated, I would've roasted him.'

I turned my back on the ongoing fight, instead turning my gaze to the dark city in the distance. My gaze slid disinterestedly past it. 'Yep. It's a dark city, all right.' I turned back to the road, yawning in boredom. 'How dull.' I froze. '…Wait. I wouldn't think that.' My head snapped back to the city, this time focusing harder. A moment later, I sighed, returning my gaze to the road. 'Must've just been my imaginati—GODDAMMIT!' I roared mentally. 'FLAMING DISTRACTOR SPELLS! I FLAMING HATE THE BLOODY THINGS!' I raged, my tail lashing. 'When you're not looking at it, it's there, but the INSTANT you focus on it, it's gone.'

I eyed the people who were walking towards the city and noticed that they weren't actually walking towards the city as they were making conversation with a friend while following the road. '…Huh. Impressive. I certainly wouldn't have thought of that. Keeping themselves from focusing on the city keeps the spell from activating. I suppose the spell is there to keep away the unwary, then. Assuming the white kingdom represents the light side of society, it would be bad if some innocent bystander unknowingly stumbled into the dark side without realizing what they were getting into.'

I spotted a large, black Eastern Dragon over three hundred feet in length. I turned to look more closely, observing the silvery gems along the length of its' body and the three eyes upon its' head that exuded the same silvery glow as the gems. Riding on his head was a man in nothing but a linen loincloth that carried a crook and flail on his belt. He glowed softly, and he seemed to be having an argument with the Dragon. '…Is that Apophis? Okay, forget that, IS APOPHIS LETTING RA RIDE HIS BACK? WHAT THE FLAMING HELL!?'

I spread my wings and took off, leaping into the air and gliding up alongside the Primal Eclipse Dragon. "GREETINGS." I rumbled, keeping pace with his slower, more serpentine flight. He didn't bother dodging my halfhearted blast of energy, allowing it to disintegrate part of his form. It regenerated less than a second later. I took a mental note of this, but said nothing.

The two paused their argument to look at me, the great Dragon halting his journey to reply. "GREETINGS, SISTER." Apophis replied in amusement, his voice a velvety purr. "MIGHT I ASK WHO FINALLY DID YOU IN?"

I smirked, landing alongside him. "NO ONE. I CAME HERE OF MY OWN FREE WILL." 'Well, actually I am dead, but he doesn't need to know that.'

He raised all three of his scaled eyebrows. "OH? THEN YOU STILL WALK AMONG THE LIVING? THAT IS CERTAINLY A RARE OCCURRENCE. MIGHT I ASK HOW IT CAME ABOUT?"

I chuckled. "CERTAINLY." I stretched my wings, my beautiful scales shimmering in the light of the twin suns. "A MALE ENTERED MY PRISON, OFFERING TO FREE ME IN EXCHANGE FOR ME BECOMING HIS QUEEN." I tilted my head, imperiously looking down my nose at him. "HE WOOED ME TO HIS SIDE WITH MANY PROMISES AND GIFTS. I GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO STAND BY HIS SIDE FOR THE REST OF TIME."

"ALL OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF YOUR HEART, I PRESUME?" He asked drily.

I frowned. "EVEN ONE SUCH AS I MUST EVENTUALLY SETTLE DOWN AND CREATE A FAMILY TO CARRY ON MY LEGACY. HE PROVED HIMSELF WORTHY OF MY AFFECTIONS, AND IN TIME, I AM CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN BECOME INSEPERABLE."

The enormous Dragon blinked in surprise. "HOW INTERESTING. I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THE DAY WHEN YOU WOULD FIND A MATE OF YOUR OWN. DO YOU PLAN TO CLAIM HIM?"

I shook my head. "QUITE THE OPPOSITE, ACTUALLY. IF I AM THE ONE TO CLAIM HIM, I WOULD ONLY BE SUPRESSING HIS POTENTIAL." I snorted. "NOT TO MENTION THAT IF I DID, ALL OF MY OLD ENEMIES WOULD IMMEDIATELY KNOW OF MY RETURN AS MAGIC ITSELF SEALS HIS FATE TO MINE."

'Well… actually, it's because it's the only way he can bring me back to the mortal realm, but again, I'm not telling him that.'

"…FAIR ENOUGH." He agreed, oblivious. A teasing note entered his voice. "ARE YOU SURE THAT THE MIGHTY RED DRAGON OF DOMINATION DOESN'T ACTUALLY USE HER TITLE TO HIDE A MORE… CLOSETED INTEREST?"

I glowered at him. "EVEN IF I DID HAVE SUCH AN INTEREST, IT CONCERNS NO ONE SAVE MYSELF AND MY MATE-TO-BE. IT'S CERTAINLY NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, SERPANT."

"NO NEED FOR THAT, SISTER." He replied easily. "IT WAS MERELY A JOKE. I CARE NOT FOR YOUR SEXUAL PREFERENCES." He glanced around. "AND, IF I MAY ASK, WHERE IS THIS FIANCÉ OF YOURS?"

I smirked. "CREATING MY NEW FORM, AS WELL AS MAKING PREPARATIONS FOR MY ARRIVAL. I AM BUT A SOUL AT THE MOMENT, SO HE MUST FIRST CREATE ME A BODY CAPABLE OF HOLDING MY SOUL."

The Evil Dragon chuckled. "I SEE. MY APOLOGIES, THEN. YOU AREN'T THE TYPE TO MAKE UP THESE THINGS, ANYWAY. HELL, I THOUGHT YOU WERE ASEXUAL FOR A TIME." He paused. "ACTUALLY, MOST OF US WERE BETTING ON YOU AND ALBION FINALLY GETTING OVER YOUR DIFFERENCES AND HAVING LITTLE HEAVENLY DRAGONS TO TERRORIZE THE PLANET WITH."

I blinked. "YOU WHAT? ME AND-AND THAT FLAMING MORON? NOT A CHANCE IN HELL OF THAT HAPPENING."

Ra asked something in a quiet voice, sounding amused. Apophis snorted. "YES, SHE USES THE WORD 'FLAMING' INSTEAD OF 'FUCKING'. OLD NEWS, SUNNY-BOY."

I blinked. "I DO WHAT?"

Apophis sighed. "THESE DAYS, HUMANS USE 'FUCK' AS A CURSE WORD. 'THOSE FUCKING MORONS' OR 'THAT FUCKING ASSHOLE' WOULD BE EXAMPLES."

I rolled my eyes. "IF I HATE SOMETHING, WHY WOULD I WANT TO FUCK IT? NO, IF I FIND SOMETHING TO BE ABHORRENT, I SET IT ON FIRE. I TRULY DON'T GET HUMANS' OBSESSION WITH COPULATION."

Apophis made a movement that might have been a shrug if he actually had shoulders. "HEY, DON'T ASK ME. I'M A DRAGON OF SLOTH AND GLUTTONY, NOT ONE OF LUST. TRY GRENDEL IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW."

I frowned, recalling my thankfully few unpleasant memories of the sadomasochistic berserker. "…I'LL PASS."

Apophis frowned, listening as Ra spoke once more. "HATEFUCKING? THE HELL IS THAT?" He listened some more. "WAIT… REALLY? NO, JUST… NO. YOU'VE GOT ISSUES, MAN. I'M AN EVIL DRAGON, AND I DON'T TOUCH THAT SHIT. I'M JUST A REALLY HUNGRY GUY WHO WANTS THE BLEEDING SUN TO TURN OFF SO I CAN KEEP SLEEPING. YOU MARRIED YOUR BLEEDING DAUGHTER."

"SEE? YOU DO IT, TOO!" I crowed.

He shrugged. "MOST DRAGONS DON'T SEE THE POINT IN KEEPING TRACK OF EVERY DIFFERENT LANGUAGE'S CUSS WORDS, SO YOU'LL FIND A LOT OF ODD SWEARS. IF YOU'LL THINK BACK, ALBION CURSES USING RANDOM PHRASES WITH THE WORD 'GOAT' IN THEM."

I started laughing. "I REMEMBER THAT! IT WAS GLORIOUS! BACK IN THE FIFTH CENTURY, I KEPT COVERING HIS ENTIRE CAVE IN VARIOUS BODILY FLUIDS THAT I GOT FROM GOAT CARCASSES! AT FIRST I USED BLOOD, BUT THEN ONE DAY, I USED URINE INSTEAD! IT WAS PRICELESS!"

The Evil Dragon slowly blinked all three of his eyes. "…SO THAT'S WHY HE SMELLED LIKE PISS FOR THE NEXT WEEK. THANKS FOR THAT. I HAD TO DEAL WITH IT."

I shrugged. "NOT MY PROBLEM, JACKASS. MAYBE NEXT TIME THAT'LL STOP YOU FROM EATING ALL OF MY COWS."

"THOSE WEREN'T COWS, THEY WERE BULLS! AND WEREN'T YOURS!" He protested. "THEY WERE OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF EGYPT UNDER THE CARE OF A CLUELESS SHEPARD BOY!"

Ra said something, sounding extremely irritated. Apophis rolled his eyes. "NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR SACRED BULLS, RA." He glanced at the sun, sighing. "SORRY, BUT WE HAVE TO MOVE IF WE WANT TO REACH THE AUCTION IN TIME. IT'S NICE TO KNOW THAT SOMEONE ELSE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOU NOW. I'LL BE SEEING YOU." He listened for a moment more. "RA SAYS THAT HE'LL BE WATCHING FOR YOUR ADVENTURES IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING."

I blinked. "HOW DOES THAT WORK?"

He did his odd shrug again. "THE SPECIFICS EVADE ME, BUT MORE OR LESS, A COPY OF YOUR SPIRIT REMAINS HERE EVEN AFTER YOU REINCARNATE. THE FEW LUCKY SOULS WHO DO SO SHARE THEIR SENSES WITH THEIR LIVING BODY, AND ARE OUR ONLY REAL SOURCES OF NEW INFORMATION AROUND THESE PARTS."

I nodded. "I SEE. WELL, IF YOU EVER MANAGE TO COME BACK TO LIFE, I'D HAPPILY DESTROY YOU ONCE MORE."

His cheeks flushed to a pale white. "AH, YOU'RE JUST SAYING THAT."

I shook my head, smiling kindly at him. "NO, I'M QUITE SERIOUS. IF YOU EVER RETURN TO THE LAND OF THE LIVING, I WILL MERCILESSLY SLAUGHTER YOU."

He smiled back at me. "INDEED. AND I, TOO, WOULD HAPPILY KILL YOU AND ALL OF YOUR ILK. IT'S ONLY FAIR."

He paused, listening to Ra once more. "YES, YOU MORON, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT KILLING EACH OTHER. BUT WE ONLY REALLY DO IT ON PRINCIPLE, SO WE DON'T REALLY HATE EACH OTHER. SO IF WE DON'T HATE EACH OTHER, THEN WE MIGHT AS WELL BE CIVILIZED ABOUT OUR KILLING, RIGHT? IT'S ONLY POLITE."

There was another pause. "NO, YOU IDIOT. WE CAN'T JUST 'NOT KILL EACH OTHER'; WE'RE DRAGONS. IF WE AREN'T ALLIES AND WE AREN'T LOVERS, WE'RE ENEMIES. WE CERTAINLY AREN'T ALLIES AND SHE'S ABOUT TO SETTLE DOWN TO MAKE SOME HATCHLINGS WITH ANOTHER DRAKE, SO WE'RE NOT LOVERS. THEREFORE, WE MUST BE ENEMIES."

He sighed, rolling his three eyes. "IT'S ONLY THE UNCIVILIZED HUMANS AND YOU MORONIC GODS WHO DON'T BOTHER BEING POLITE ABOUT IT. WITH YOU GUYS IT'S ALWAYS "I SHALL SMITE YOU, FOUL BEAST! HAVE AT THEE!' AND NO 'OH, PARDON ME, GREAT DRAGON, BUT I HAVE TO KILL YOU NOW. NOTHING PERSONAL, JUST MY JOB.' HONESTLY…" He grumbled, once more beginning his slow flight.

An idea formed. "SO, WE CAN'T DIE HERE, RIGHT?" I checked.

He nodded. "YEP. WE CAN 'PASS ON' ONCE WE FEEL WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN HOLDING US BACK, BUT THERE'S NO WAY TO ACTUALLY KILL ANYONE."

I smirked. "WELL THEN, ALLOW ME TO ASSIST YOU."

I ))Boosted(( my strength a few times, wound back, and body-slammed him as hard as I could. His face was comically shocked as he abruptly broke the sound barrier. I chuckled softly, turning and flying the opposite direction.

'That's, what, the fifth time I've pulled that exact same trick on him? You would think he'd wise up by now.' I continued to fly until the first sun began to dye the horizon a deep purple, before deciding to land on the mountains behind the light kingdom to rest.

I ignored the fact that said mountains seemed to be made of entirely of precious gems. I'm certainly not a Greed, so I couldn't care less. I fell into a deep sleep, comforting myself by thinking about how cramped Albion must be inside of his tiny prison right now.

When I woke next, it was to the voice of the boy who had proposed to me. I watched as he pulled out a piece of crystal about the size of his finger. It had a wide base, tapering off slightly and widening again at the top with an almost crownlike look to it. It reminded me of the odd porcelain horse head used by the Astaroth gnat on my previous host. I paused, blinking in surprise. 'Wait, maybe this is how Devils Claim their subordinates as theirs. The gnat did use it just before he left her alone, after all.'

The boy began to speak. "I plan to use this to place your soul in, before putting it into your new form."

I nodded, still eyeing it curiously. "IT IS AN ODD WAY CLAIM ME AS YOURS. BUT IT IS HOW DEVILS CLAIM OTHERS, IS IT NOT?"

He sighed, presumably in relief. Perhaps he thought I would change my mind? I snorted. 'Hmph. Foolish boy, I don't go back on my word so easily. So long as you keep your end of the bargain, I will keep mine.'

"Yes. In fact, it's the highest possible means of claiming another's soul." He told me seriously. "It grants your form increased strength, speed, mana, and durability, beyond what all other Pieces can grant. A High-Class Devil only ever gets one."

'Only ever gets one, eh? And he's offering it to me?' I nodded, satisfied. "GOOD." I bowed my head, showing submission for the first time in millennia. 'For the sake of a better future.' "I ACCEPT YOUR CLAIM, KING OF SOULS."

A bright flash lit the mountain, my form dissolving one scale at a time to flow into the crowned 'Piece'.

When I next opened my eyes, they were weak and blurry. I blinked a few times, trying to focus. The ceiling swam into focus, and I sat up. I took a deep breath, and looked around. I was in a small, sparsely decorated room. I was lying on the only bed, and the only other furniture was a scuffed 'dresser', a small 'nightstand', and a 'desk'.

I blinked.

That's not right.

I don't know those words.

Or, at least, I hadn't.

I checked my new form. It was obviously female, and it was dressed in the same outfit as the 'adorable' 'reaper' had in the 'anime'.

I decided that I liked the word 'adorable'. Especially the images that it evoked.

I continued to look over my form, inspecting each and every detail. I had fair skin, long red hair that reached my waist, and a single strand of my hair was 'braided'. Upon further inspection, I learned that the sides of my hair were pulled back and held in place by a 'hair clip'.

As for my outfit, I was dressed in a thick, black 'blouse'and a black 'skirt'with red 'trim'. My legs were clad in a pair of black 'stockings' and 'combat boots'. To my utter delight, a red hooded cloak was wrapped around my shoulders, pinned in place by rose-shaped pins.

Finally, I examined the odd 'belt' around my waist. It was adorned with a silver brooch, in the shape of a… I blinked.

'Queen piece.' The same thing that the boy had used to Claim me. A piece, I now knew, that belonged to a game called chess. The other pieces included a total of eight 'pawn pieces', two 'rook pieces', two 'bishop pieces', and two 'knight pieces'. That was the odd horse head that the Astaroth gnat used on my previous host. So, going by that logic, if I'm his queen, and he's my king, then there must also be other pieces. One piece per person.

With that mystery solved, I returned to inspecting my belt. It was stocked with 'ammunition' of the '20 millimeter' 'caliber'. I could shoot it from an 'anti-tank rifle' at just over 'MACH 3', or three times the speed of sound. I pulled one out, observing the heavy 'shell'. It was smooth, and amazingly light for how much destruction I now knew it could cause.

Wait.

How much damage could it cause? I frowned, trying to remember.

…Nope, nothing. Apparently whatever power my fiancé used didn't extend to actual memories, just the knowledge itself. I could see the 20mm shell, and know that it's capable of blasting an inch-deep hole in solid 'titanium', but not actually know what titanium is. Quite confusing.

I sighed, trying to reign in my new emotions. Being a hatchling once more is quite confusing. The boy said that my body would be age six, correct? I somehow knew that six was rather young for a human 'child', but I knew nothing of Devil hatchlings. Were they even called hatchlings? What did they eat? How did they live? None of my hosts had ever become Devils as a hatchling before, so I certainly didn't know anything about it. Most of my hosts only woke me after they were adults and had often already managed to change their race.

I pulled my raging thoughts to heel once more, irritated with myself. 'Before, I could look over the entirety of a situation and only pick out the relevant parts in less than a second. Now? I can't even do something as simple as look over my clothes without going on a hundred different tangents.'

I forced my attention back to my belt for the third time in as many minutes. I quickly discovered that it had a clip, and on the clip was hanging… Crescent Rose.

I picked it up reverently, eyeing it with the scrutiny of a seasoned warrior. It was extremely well-built, that I could tell. And even if the only weapons of this caliber that I have ever seen were being used against me, I could definitely appreciate the exquisite care that went into crafting it. My heart warmed slightly, and I smiled. He had seen how much I had adored the weapon, so he had faithfully recreated it down to the last piece.

'Just what I would expect of the boy who willingly entered my cage alone in order to woo me.' I thought happily. My stomach fluttered slightly, and I frowned. 'Is this hunger? No, hunger is my stomach growling. This feels… lighter. Airier. More free. How odd.'

Still lost in thought, I swung my feet off the bed to attempt my first steps as a Devil. Before I could set my feet on the ground, however, I noticed a small form collapsed on the ground next to the bed. I sharpened my eyesight with a quick ))Boost((, and immediately recognized the mop of red hair and the white coat. Slightly panicked, I reached out and checked his condition. He appeared to have burnt clear through his magical core, and he had passed out from the strain of an enormous spell.

I blinked, looking down at my form. 'That's right, he told me that he could create me a body from nothing. I assumed he meant that he would use preexisting materials to do it, but maybe he literally meant from nothing.' I huffed, ignoring the fluttering feeling inside my stomach. 'Idiot. He should know that nothing comes from nothing. Anyone who tries to break that law will face some form of retribution, unless they use…' I blinked. 'Sorcery. Jesus H. Christ-ow- I thought he was joking!'

I carefully got to my feet, wobbling slightly. I tried to pick him up, only to realize the first limitation of this form—six-year-olds don't have arm strength. I huffed in irritation, glaring at my tiny arms. Out of sheer stubbornness I tried again, focusing my strength on my arms. This time, he was as light as a feather. I blinked, shocked, before setting him on the bed and sitting beside him. 'This must be what he meant when he said the piece would grant me strength. Interesting.'

I glanced beside me, where the boy, my fiancé, rested. My cheeks began to warm at the thought, and the fluttery feeling grew, expanding through my entire body and making me feel all aldgbrfgdsl inside.

Yes, that is a word.

Shut up.

My cheeks still warm, I scooted over until his head was on my lap. I began to stroke his hair, relishing in the silky smoothness and the warmth the boy exuded. I stayed that way for a time, relishing the feeling of warmth and comfort he exuded. He shifted in his sleep, muttering something about churches, ducks, and very small rocks. I giggled.

And then I froze. 'What the HELL am I doing! I'm the Red Dragon Empress, not some giggling child! Get it together, girl!' I roared at myself. But, try as I might, the warm fluttery feeling that I felt whenever I looked at him would not go away. Glancing over my small form once more, I was struck by the realization that maybe my new form had something to do with it. I vaguely remember something about how Devils had only one Sin, rather than two.

I never considered what would happen to my Sins when I changed bodies. Maybe this tiny body refused to accept my Pride because it just hadn't had enough time to bond with it, yet. Dragons gained their Sins over the course of time, based on their hidden desires and ambitions, so maybe Devils worked the same?

I continued to absently stroke my fiancé's hair, slightly comforted by the knowledge that my child body was interfering with my emotions.

I was abruptly shaken from my thoughts as the door opened and admitted a small, white-haired girl. And now that I know the word, I can say with absolute certainty that she is adorable. Her head sported a pair of white cat ears, and a fluffy white tail could be seen waving softly behind her. Hazel eyes peeked out from a curious face as she observed me. She blinked, closing the door. "I assume you're Master's new )Queen(?"

She spoke in a soft voice, ending her question with a small tilt of her head. I had to stop myself from tackling her. 'Oh, right, she asked me a question.' I nodded, my traitorous cheeks warming once more at the thought of my fiancé. "Y-yes. M-my name is R-Ruby G-Gremory."

My own voice sent a wave of shivers through me, as well. I stumbled over some of the words, having never spoken them through these lips before, but I managed. My voice was velvet-smooth, with the high pitch that I now knew spoke of immaturity. It, much like the girl's, the 'neko's', was soft and relaxing.

The little cat-girl smiled at me, her tail giving a small twitch of joy. "Okay. Let's get to bed, then."

I nodded, opening my mouth once more. "W-where should I-I…" I managed, stumbling once more over the unfamiliar sensations of speech.

Her innocent smile shifted into a smirk. "On the bed, of course."

I frowned, the last of the heat leaving my cheeks. "But, isn't that where he sleeps?" I asked, mentally cheering as I regained control of my mouth.

The white neko shrugged. "And? I sleep with him all the time."

'W-wait, she called him Master. At first I thought she meant 'teacher', but if she sleeps with him, as well…' My cheeks warmed again. 'I-is she his pet? No, I'm not going to ask that right now. What can I say instead?' I cleared my throat. "I-is that normal between couples?"

She nodded. I swallowed. 'A-all right, your first action as a couple. Sleeping together. Normally, Dragons only do that after sex or if they're a Claimed couple. I guess Devils are a lot more lax about this kind of thing.' I glanced at the cat-girl once more. 'It's just me, my fiancé, and his adorable pet. Nothing to worry about.' "V-very well, then. I shall join you."

She smiled. "Good."

She walked up to the bed, effortlessly lifting my fiancé and setting his head on one of the pillows. She glanced at me. "Do you want nightclothes?"

I shook my head. 'He made these clothes for me, so I'm going to wear them.' I thought determinedly.

She shrugged, walking over to the dresser and pulling out a small nightdress. She set it down, before pulling off her shirt and shorts. I stared at her petite form, a small shiver running down my spine. A new feeling assaulted me, a feeling much like the fluttery feeling from before, except… darker. More primal. It made me want to pin her down, Claim her, and make her mine.

I blinked.

Twice.

'…Devils really are strange. I shouldn't be feeling this much, just after being 'born'.'

I ignored the odd feelings, instead peeling back the sheets and taking my place by my fiancé's side, but not before deciding that it would be more advantageous to lay on the side not by the wall. Walls are nice, but very unhelpful when it comes to escaping. I knew that much from experience.

A moment later, the little neko crawled over me and laid down on her Master's chest. She smiled happily, and fell asleep with a soft purr emanating from her chest. I sighed, wrapping my arms around my fiancé's arm, and joined them in the land of dreams.

When I next woke, it was with a slight impact on hard ground. I sat up with a jaw-cracking yawn, and glanced around. I was inside a large room, sitting in the center of the only clear area. Outside of the sixteen-foot circle where I resided, the entire room was packed with shelves. They were placed oddly, like the rings of a tree, and held everything from books to strange crystal shards and other artifacts.

"Good morning." A voice from beside me greeted. "What should I call you?"

I turned to see my fiancé smiling pleasantly at me. I smiled back at him. "Good morning, my King." I paused. 'Wait, I'm supposed to be the ancient Dragon. He doesn't know how this form has affected me. Set it on fire, what would I have said before?' I tried to school my features into a serious expression. "In order to evade my enemies, I understand the necessity of changing my name." I told him, feeling awkward. "You have named me Ruby, so that is what I shall be called."

He raised an eyebrow, apparently noticing my discomfort. "You don't have to be so formal, you know. I'm going to be here for the rest of your life, so you might as well do what you're comfortable with."

I felt a wave of relief. "OhthankGod—ow! What the hell?" I yelped, feeling a spike of pain. Come to think of it, I had experienced the same thing the previous night when I used the phrase 'Jesus H. Christ'-ow, dammit-. I grimaced to myself. 'That's going to get old fast.'

He snickered at my expression. "You're a Devil now, even if you have the soul of a Dragon."

I sighed, rubbing my eyes. "Give me a break. As a Devil, this is my first time for everything. First steps, first words, first emotions…"

'I mean, honestly, I don't even know what half of these feelings even are!' I griped. 'Whatever he used to help me know more about the world doesn't seem to help when it comes to identifying emotions.'

I was jolted from my musings when I felt a hand gently rest upon my head. I felt him begin to stroke my head, and all the tension began to flow out of me. It continued for another minute or two, until he finally stopped. The absence of the comforting sensation was more than slightly irksome, but I tried to avoid letting my displeasure show. He stared at me for a moment, before groaning and reaching into his pouch. He pulled out a thin brown disk speckled with black lumps. I took the 'cookie' and took a bite. I smiled to myself as the sweet, 'chocolate'-filled 'confectionary' soothed my taste buds with its' exquisite taste. Just as I finished the cookie, he seemed to come to a conclusion and pulled an entire bag of cookies from his pouch. He handed them to me and stood. "Stay here."

He left for a moment or two, then came back holding three bottles of a murky substance my Instinct told me to stay the hell away from. He sat down beside me, taking out an empty 'mayonnaise' jar and filling it with water. Then, he dripped a tiny amount of the dark substance in with the water, mixed it in, and drank it. He reached into his pouch, pulling out a 'softball'-sized diamond inlaid with a variety of gems and several boxes far too large to have fit inside of a bag that size. He tapped the gem, and it softly glowed to life. Nothing seemed to happen, but he seemed to be satisfied. He opened the first box, revealing a large 'pizza', and ate a slice.

This process continued, and he began adding successively more and more of the odd substance to the water before drinking it and activating the gem. When he ceased using the water entirely and began to just pour the substance into the jar, I finally spoke.

"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded, feeling my Instinct scream at me. 'That stuff is Dangerous with a capital 'D'.' I paused for a moment, confused. 'Where the hell did I learn that expression? I've never heard it in my life!'

He began to reply, prompting me to file the phenomenon under 'modern knowledge' and move on. "I'm invoking a Rite of Ascension."

I raised an eyebrow, taking a bite out of a cookie. "By drinking… that? Really?"

He nodded, taking another drink. "Yep. It's called Immune Response. If I develop a complete immunity, I'll probably get acidic blood."

I eyed the dangerous substance. "What even is that?"

"Samael's Blood." He replied nonchalantly. "Want some?"

I backed away. 'Nopenopenopenopenope. So much nope there, I don't even want to consider it.'

He ignored my perfectly reasonable reaction to being told he was holding poison that could potentially destroy my soul, and proceeded to drink a larger amount of said poison. He then broke the cycle, setting down the array of objects, and began clipping his nails.

I blinked. 'Hold on. I know his nails weren't that long last night. Or this morning, for that matter.' I glanced down at the large gem. 'Does that age him, somehow? I suppose that makes sense. He doesn't want to deal with the side-effects of the poison or the long wait for it to leave his system, so he ages himself. That's… pretty clever, actually. I wouldn't have thought of that.' I eyed the poison, 'Then again, I wouldn't drink that if you paid me.' I blinked. 'Again with the odd expressions! Since when have I ever been paid for anything!'

I finished my mental rant, checking on his progress. To my shock, he had already finished the second bottle and was finishing off an entire pizza. I decided to simply continue eating my cookies, leaving him to his large-scale destruction. We both sat in silence until he had finished his meal.

"Now," He began, brushing off his shirt, "I'm ready to become a Dragon."

I sighed, forlornly looking down at the remaining cookies in the bag. 'Worry not, my friends.' I told them, sealing the bag. 'I shall return.' I grimaced. 'First odd turns of phrase, and now talking to inanimate objects? This form really is doing a number on me.' "All right." I told him, trying to ignore my changed mental state. "Come here."

He scooted over, stopping within touching distance. I stretched out my arm and placed my hand in his chest. "I'm going to Sacrifice your body to turn me into a Dragon, which will, in effect, turn us both into Dragons." I told him. "Do you have anywhere we can go to complete the transformation?"

He tapped the ground with something in his hand, and a magic circle spun to life beneath us. A moment later, we were in a large space, with grass as far as the eye could see. I smiled. "Good." I paused, trying to fight down the odd fluttery feeling that was steadily rising in my stomach. "Now," I said, my cheeks burning brighter and brighter, "I-I n-need you t-to k-kiss me."

'Damn it!' I raged, my cheeks warm and my face flushed. 'It's just a flaming kiss, and it's just for the sake of the spell! I'm thousands of years old! WHY IS THIS AN ISSUE!?'

He smiled kindly at me, leaned over, and kissed me full on the lips. My carefully constructed calm collapsed like a house of cards, and my entire face lit up. I'd like to say that I tried to collect myself, but I was too busy enjoying the new sensations the kiss was giving me. When he pulled away, my cheeks were burning like a phoenix had just set them afire. I could feel the magic of the Claim binding me more fully, allowing his aura to wrap softly around me. "That was my first kiss." I whispered, pulling the hood of my cloak over my head to hide my embarrassment.

'I-I don't know why that was relevant, it just slipped out.' I squeaked, trying to justify why I had uttered such an embarrassing confession. 'Wait. Why the hell is this embarrassing in the first place? Gaah! This is so confusing!' My mind settled slightly, and my new emotions faded to the point where I could think straight once more. 'S-spell.' I managed. 'I need to cast the spell before the magic of the Claim completely disperses.'

"Mul. Slen. Diiv." I whispered, pouring my power into the words. And then, my body shifted. I could feel my power returning, adding to my already impressive reserves with my new factory-like core. Oddly enough, I noted, I was given an entirely new form, rather than merely returning me to my old one. I took a brief moment to say farewell to my old, larger form, before inspecting my new one. It was almost identical to my old one in color, but my horns were a dark cream rather than orange. A thought struck. 'I remember Boosting my eyesight last night… so does that mean I kept the abilities of my first form?'

I tapped a claw on the ground. ))Penetrate((. Sure enough, when I checked, there was a hole the width of my claw so deep that I couldn't see the bottom. I grinned. 'Hell. Yes.' I glanced up at my future Mate, opening my mouth to tell him the news—and abruptly closed it as I spotted his odd features.

See, Dragon culture places a lot of meaning on appearance. A modern phrase would be 'color-coded for your convenience'. The color of one's scales indicated what breath weapon one had, as well as the method one used to fight. Every Dragon is born with pale grey scales, and once they shed their scales for the first time, their color becomes known. In time, it became known that a Dragon's scales make the change after a Dragon's ambition becomes known. After their initial shift, a Dragon's actual color is unchangeable, though their appearance may change color slightly in extraordinary circumstances.

Blue Dragons are characterized by strong close-combat abilities, and their fundamental desire is 'the strength to overcome one's obstacles through one's own might'. This often manifests itself in strong feelings towards someone else.

Red Dragons are generally characterized by strong long-distance combat abilities, and their fundamental desire is 'the strength to reach faraway places'. This often manifests itself in strong feelings towards the world around them.

Green Dragons are characterized by high defense, and their fundamental desire is 'the strength to protect those important to you'.

Besides the basic colors, there are also 'secondary colors' that lie in-between two of the other colors. Their desires are generally a mix of the two colors' motivations, so they can be rather unpredictable at times.

Purple Dragons are characterized by strong melee and ranged combat abilities, resulting in their position between blue and red on the spectrum; however, they sacrifice any kind of defense to do so. Not many purple Dragons are well-known, but they tend to utilize mid-range attacks quite effectively.

Yellow Dragons are characterized by strong indirect attacks, such as jamming and illusions. This likely results from their position between red and green on the light color spectrum; by utilizing attack jamming or illusions, for example, they are able to defend others even at a distance.

Black Dragons are those who don't want to be in direct contact with others, because those who got close to them used them somehow, or simply because they prefer solitude. Apophis, for instance, can turn into pure darkness in order to escape restraint and generates poisonous mist from his body. On one hand, he's impossible to catch. On the other, he can never really touch anyone else, either. Their trauma is born from wanting to keep those they feel will hurt them away.

White Dragons are the opposite, desiring to take everything for themselves. It's impossible to escape them, yet they can never be satisfied with what they have taken. Albion, a pure white, can use attacks that cannot be avoided even by the dimensions themselves. However, no matter how much he has, he still cannot stop himself from desiring more. He took my home, my family, my friends, and he constantly tries to take my life.

Finally, there are the metallic or earthly colors. Each of these colors is taken from an element, and their scales' characteristics will be that of that element. They tend to lack breath weapons, but generally have decent defensive capabilities with absolute immunity to one or more kinds of attack. They generally excel in basic combat.

Unlike the "desires" that define red, green, and blue-colored Avatars, a Dragon of a metallic or earthly-color does not desire strength, but rather 'walls to protect one's heart from harm'. Argon the Scale-Taker is famous for having theorized that these colors are created from having strong walls around one's heart, and has led to the despicable practice of "artificially" creating these colors by manipulating a hatchling's environment before they shed their skin.

The scales' color saturation indicates how specialized their abilities are. For example, the Great Red and I, both having very highly saturated colors, are fully specialized in ranged combat. Nidhoggr, on the other hand, who is a green-colored Dragon with very low saturation, is instead very versatile, to the point where he can use ice as a breath weapon instead of the typical tendency of having healing or nourishing breath.

There are odd cases where one blends two or more colors into the same area of scales, and these Dragons are typically called Two-Tones. These Dragons appear to be characterized by a very strong "mental divide" between two extremes.

Of course, Scale-reading goes beyond just attack types and motivations. It can also be used to predict one's personality as well.

Reds don't put any sort of emotional attachment or moral valuation on how they use force. Victory is simply a matter of sterile determinism. It's not about long speeches about honor, friendship or love. After the traditional warnings are given, any and all tactics are valid.

Blues tend to use force as a matter of personal honor and integrity. There's a huge moral dimension in how they go about picking fights. Being weak is almost a sign of inexcusable laziness in the eyes of a blue, on the theory that you have no reason not to pull yourself up by the bootstraps. They're likely to see the willingness to apply force as a way of showing perseverance and applying yourself to a problem directly.

Greens aren't as malicious as the rest of our kind, instead being more caring and compassionate. As such, they don't manifest obvious weapons at all and instead have defensive abilities. It's not that they won't use force if they have to, but they just don't have an aggressive personality.

Blacks tend to be very strong-willed and determined, pushing on no matter what. They tend to be highly individualistic, aggressive and selfish. Their abilities are very specialized towards achieving a single, all-consuming passion. Their passion something they'll go out of their way to achieve, even if they have break a few eggs to get it. They are standoffish lone wolf types.

Whites are the opposite, not having any particular desires in life other than what is right in front of them. Rather than individualistic, they are very collectivistic. Their abilities are geared towards something very general and extremely selfish, such as Albion's ))Divide((. They have no motivation save for what they give themselves, and they will take the long way around to keep their talons clean. They are often very charismatic, simply because they so easily conform to the people around them.

Secondaries and Two-Tones are a mixture of their parent color. There is far too much variety for me to explain every possible combination.

Most Dragons have two colors, their greater color and their lesser color. The scales that cover their body is their greater color that consists of their personality, motivations, and dreams. Your lesser color, covering your underside and your wings, is the indication of one's hidden desires. A Dragon typically gets a single Ability for their greater and lesser color as they evolve, unless they have the same color for both. In that case they get a single, terrifyingly powerful ability.

My scales were once and are still pure red, speaking of my wish to ascend to the highest heights, and the fact that my abilities function best when used long-range. I can fight in close quarters by Boosting my body, but while my body will eventually reach its' limit and collapse, I can instead Boost the qualities of a disposable projectile and not have to worry about it. My old lesser color was yellow, speaking of my inner desire to protect those that I held dear from afar, so as to not alert Albion to their location. Oddly enough, my new lesser color is white. I assume it has to do with my newfound desire to be whatever I need to in order to make the best of my new life.

My fiancé, on the other hand, is a rare Two-Tone. His greater body is covered mainly with sunset red scales, a secondary color that's mostly red with a moderate amount of yellow mixed in. His second tone was a pure, midnight black. It decorated his snout, the top of his head, and his talons, as well as blending slightly with his lesser color of obsidian.

His greater color told me that he had a desire to reach something beyond his reach, and that he wished to protect those he cared for without seeing them hurt in the process. His midnight black tone told me that, while he wished to reach for something in the distance, he also wished to avoid something, though I didn't know what. His lesser color was less midnight than it was obsidian, marking it as an earthly-type color. This symbolized his desire for 'walls to protect his heart from harm', only reinforced by the black coloring of the mineral.

Once he developed his Abilities, one is likely to be a long-range non-combat ability, while the other is likely going to be something that allows safe escape from harm. The method of 'escape' would likely tell me more about his hidden desires and insecurities. For example, if it's a speed-based ability, it will signify his desire to run from harm. If it's a barrier, it's an indication that he wishes to keep himself separate from those who might harm him. An attack or damage shield will show that he wishes to harm his aggressors before they can harm him.

I was broken out of my 'inner monologue' when my fiancé finally finished his inspection of our new forms. Raising an eyebrow, he spoke. "Is something wrong?"

I jumped slightly, cursing myself for losing track of my surroundings. "N-nothing." I replied immediately. 'Quick, find something to comment on!' My eyes landed on his slightly oversized wings. "I-it's just, only males who've Claimed at least two females have wings that disproportionate, and usually they take time to grow."

While I had just made up an excuse on the spot, it didn't make it any less true. Normally, a male was only able to safely Claim one or two females in his life due to the incredible strain on the mind and Spirit it caused. But those who had Claimed two Mates often experienced form changes much like those my fiancé had—an enlarged crest and set of wings. Their wings grew for the purpose of shielding their Claimed and holding them close, or to be able to support their weight if they had to carry them midair. Said males were labeled 'Bigwings' and were considerably less aggressive than other males.

He frowned, considering my words. "…Would it count if I told my Reality Marble that I want to protect them?"

I shrugged. 'I'm hardly the expert on Reality Marbles, I just learned of their existence after fighting a particularly irritating Demon.' "I suppose." I replied. "I can't say for sure, though, because I've never heard of a Dragon with a Reality Marble before, much less a Living Marble."

I paused, sighing as a burst of irritation flowed through me. "This whole, 'Claimed emotions' thing is getting old, fast. I've never had mood swings this extreme."

He shrugged. "I don't even know what this whole 'Claimed' business means. Care to enlighten me?"

I sighed again, glancing at my reflection in the ice. "Dragons don't exactly get married, and most only ever have casual flings. Claiming is the closest thing that Dragons have to a lasting commitment. A Claim is possible to do by accident, but it impossible to reverse without killing both parties. It can only happen as a result of one party saving the other's life. The rescued party, if they so choose, can remove their Life-Debt by conceding to be Claimed."

'Which is basically the entire reason I allowed you to Claim me in the first place, I suppose.' I mused. 'On one hand, my Pride demanded that I never be subordinate to another, but on the other, it hated the idea of an unknown force having absolute power over me. In the end, I chose to submit to a power that couldn't control me over trying to stubbornly claim authority over someone who could demand my life if he so chose.'

"More or less, a Claim means 'I will never choose anyone but you'." I finally said.

"Shortly after a Claim is made, you must imprint your magic onto the other party through physical contact. This usually happens over an eight to twelve-hour period. Once imprinted, the Claimed party gradually becomes influenced by the imprinted magical signature, so as to become a better match for their future Mate. For instance, if you were an angry person, I would become increasingly short-tempered."

This was done as a matter of necessity. Male Dragons take a liking to other females, even ones of other races, while hating other males. This quality was the first to be imprinted so that the female, who tended take likings to other males and other races, would hate other males and be more than willing to share their male with other females. Sneaky and underhanded, yes, but a necessary evil to prevent hatred and envy from destroying a couple's relationship.

I blinked. 'Wait, that's why the cat-girl was so attractive to me! Damn it, I completely forgot about that!'

"Other races call it a 'Soul-Bond', if that helps any." I finally said, trying to ignore my embarrassment at forgetting such a simple fact.

He nodded. "Anything else?"

I shrugged. "If you didn't have a Reality Marble, we'd be telepathically linked right now." 'I mean, I assume that's why it's being blocked.'

He tilted his head, humming in thought. "If I allowed the link through, would it help stabilize your mood swings?"

I nodded. "The only reason I'm having them is that your magic, and your aura, is ethereal and dreamlike." 'Shifting every which way every other second, I swear…' "I'd assume that the cat-girl, if she is indeed your other Claim, is having similar problems right about now."

He frowned. "But I wasn't a Dragon at the time, how does it affect her now?"

I smiled "You managed to Claim me, didn't you? Other races have a term for it too, which means that it doesn't just happen to Dragons. We just know how to use it. And if you're asking how it happened in the first place…"

I paused, considering. "You said that you told your Marble that you wanted to protect her, yes? And she's a Nekoshou? Maybe your Marble forged a tenuous connection to let you know if she was in danger, and she tried to use it to check on you? That would be more than enough to trigger a Claim. Especially if you Marked her with one of your 'Pieces'."

He sighed, apparently confirming my words. "Say I can get my Marble to let you through my 'firewall'. How would I re-forge the failed connection?"

I blinked, my mood changing once more. "Really? You can do that? Great! Well, all you'd have to do to re-forge the connection… is… um…" Inexplicable embarrassment flowed through me, and I found myself hiding my face behind my wings. "K-k-kiss…"

He sighed, before mercifully changing the subject. "Why is your form different now?"

I reigned in my embarrassment, frustratedly shoving it back into the depths of my mind. 'That should NOT. BE. EMBARRASSING! He's going to be my Mate, for crying out loud! He's going to be doing a whole lot more than kissing if he wants an heir.' "B-because I have a new body now. I'm physically the same age as you, remember?" I replied, ignoring my small stutter.

He raised a scaled eyebrow. "And the differences in physique? I don't remember your horns being so… straight. Before, they curved out the sides of your head."

She nodded. "Differences in subspecies. Theoretically any Dragon could become a Welch Dragon, they just have to desire 'never-ending power to crush their enemies'. 'Y Ddraig Goch' was just an honorary title based on my name. Albion was the same. He desired to 'divide and conquer', dividing his enemies' power into infinitesimal amounts."

My original excitement returned as I continued. "Since you gave me a new form, yet I kept my old experiences and power, I could probably evolve differently in this life than I did in my last, while maintaining my previous evolution's abilities." I frowned, as an unfamiliar word popped into my mind. "I believe one of the terms modern humans use to describe this is 'Prestige', yes? You 'reach the maximum level of experience and reset your character to do it all again'."

I sighed. "I would wager that Ophis desired 'nothingness' and The Great Red desired 'the Illusion of the Dream'. I don't know how they ascended, but they did."

"So… now we can 'evolve'?" He asked curiously.

"In time, yes."

"And what about Sins?"

"Most Dragons have two sins, but one Sin is generally more prominent than the other." I shrugged. 'Well, unless you have two Sins of the same type, in which you probably turn into a… 'psychopath', but…' "That's basically it."

He nodded, before something seemed to occur to him. "You know, we're going to miss breakfast if we don't turn back soon."

I froze as my stomach growled hungrily. "Shit. I forgot about that. To change back, we should just be able to use Form Shift. Just watch closely, and do what I do."

I closed her eyes in concentration, placing my talon by my neck. When my form shifted, the default location for the return totem to appear was the neck. I'd prefer it to be on my wrist, so that I can remove it in an emergency without choking myself. I concentrated as my form dissolved into a red mist, before I returned to my 'human' form and the mist formed a ring around my neck. 'Now!' I focused on the mist forming around my wrist rather than my neck, and when I opened my eyes, there was a red metal bracelet clasped around my forearm.

I blinked.

My forearm, which should have been covered in my black blouse. I abruptly realized I was naked, and unconsciously squeaked in mortified shock as I covered myself. 'Why the hell is this a problem!' I raged, trying to fight down my sudden spike of embarrassment. 'I've been naked my entire life! Hell, I was naked five seconds ago! Why. Is. This. A. Problem!'

I heard my fiancé call, "Here! Just push some mana into the gem!"

I opened my eyes to see a small, glimmering gem sailing towards me. I caught it and did as he had instructed. A moment later, I was once more clad in my red reaper outfit. I hurried over to my fiancé, trying to ignore my flushed cheeks. I handed him the gem, unable to meet his eyes. 'Damn it, girl, why the hell is it a problem if he sees you naked!' I growled. 'He's your future Mate, and he's going to father your children! Stop being such a coward about showing a little skin!'

A moment later, our surroundings shifted back to the tree-library-thing. He picked up the bottle of poison, carefully diluting a drop and drinking it. Nothing. He took a risk and took a sip from the bottle. Still nothing. He grinned at his apparent success. I just eyed the bottle warily as he returned it to its' shelf. 'Immune Response. Right. So, no touching any of his blood, I suppose.'

He held up a hand, and I could feel the mana in the air forming a… tear, almost, in the fabric of reality. He stepped through, and I hesitantly followed. He glanced at the clock, muttered something to himself, and walked over to where the adorable white neko still slept peacefully. He shook her softly, and smiled at her confused expression. "Wake up, Shirone. We have a lot to talk about."

'Shirone, that must be her name.' I noted. 'Shiro-ne. Shiro-neko. White cat. Not the most original of names. Does she have a sister named Kurone?'

The next few minutes consisted of him explaining to the befuddled neko exactly what we had been doing for the past half hour, including the information I had given him on Claims and such. He seemed almost… concerned as he told her that he had accidentally Claimed her.

She just yawned. "I knew."

He blinked. "What?"

"I knew that I was making a Soul-Bond. I just wanted to make sure that I always knew where you were, and if you ever needed my help." She yawned again, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "It's not a big deal. You promised that I could stay by your side as long as I like, right?"

He nodded. "Then what's the problem?" She finished, standing up and stretching. I had to fight to tear my eyes away from her revealing nightdress as she contorted her form.

'Damn it, why? I somehow know that six-year-olds aren't supposed to have these problems! Maybe it's because I'm an adult Dragon in a child's body?' I glanced at my oblivious fiancé. 'Well, he seems to not be having any problems. Maybe it's one of my Sins? No, I had the same problem as… a… Devil…' I growled to myself, my cheeks flushing slightly. 'Nope. I will not accept having Lust as my greater Sin. I am a millennia-old Dragon of Pride and Wrath, not a useless Lust.'

My fiancé caught my eye, looking slightly concerned. My inner problems aside, Shirone apparently hadn't realized exactly what she had done by binding her soul to the will of another. Despite myself, I found myself sharing his concerns about her well-being. This time it had turned out fine, but what if she had inadvertently sold her soul to a more malicious entity?

He sighed, breaking eye contact and closing his eyes. I wondered what he was doing, until I abruptly realized that he had informed Shirone of the Claim for a reason. My cheeks heated to a greater intensity than ever before as I realized he was about to kiss me.

He opened his eyes once more, and leaned over to give her a peck on the lips. A moment later, they parted with a gasp. Shirone buried her face in his chest and began sobbing. I found myself slightly worried as he tried to comfort the girl. When her sobs had died down, he turned and walked over to me. He brushed aside the hood that I just now realized I had unconsciously pulled over my face to hide my flushed face. And then, he kissed me. In the next instant, I could feel two minds… Spirits… merging themselves with my own.